Extended season starting trees indoors

[cmeg1]

crop of Hornbeams in a few months

various hornbeams.Have Coreana,Oriental ,and American Hornbeam stratifying tomorrow after a kelp soak.
Picked fresh green American Hornbeam seed(seems extremely viable) from woods yesterday!
Attained bulk seed from schumacher and sheffields.
So by December these all be sewn for Spring sales.
It wice to try and see the full genetic potential of the American Hornbeam....hopefully.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Are you doing the warm stratify followed by cold stratify? For the Carpinus.

 

[cmeg1]

Are you doing the warm stratify followed by cold stratify? For the Carpinus.

With the fresh american seed I am doing a 30 day warm/60 day cold.
The others maybe the same or 60 warm/90cold.
That fresh seed sank straight to the bottom.
The overnight kelp and fulvic acid soak seems to hasten the whole process for dried seed.
Excited about these American ones....also the Oriental too.

 

[cmeg1]

Another aeroponic seedling air-layer :Hornbeam

Ok,so I had to try this with larger stock.This seedling is 3/16” thick stemmed.Much healthier than the little dudes I tried last round.I figure if they rooted,these will root better.
Changed formula a bit.Added on 2 ml/gal Hormex hormone concentrate ,did not use dip&grow and changed to a more hydroponic freindly microbe/fungi additive***See picture for this recipe***
These should be better quality roots since a stockier seedling.I will try one at first as to not waste this crop!!!
These were fed regular grow formula.
My room is between 55-68% humidity at all times it seems,so no need for a dome.

 

[cmeg1]

I did dab on the full strength Hormex at the ringbark for almost 5 minutes with a Q tip also.

 

[cmeg1]

Also bumped up to a total of 3 ml/gallon the hormone✌
Not going to look at it for a week ,except to adjust ph on a daily basis.

 

[cmeg1]

The photosynthesis plus is a very strong sulpher oder,but sulpher anything will really increase suger/brix of plants,so a win win.
More hydroponic freindly microbes without the clay powder additives...........not to say Great white is worthless.....very good stuff actually!

 

[cmeg1]

More aeroponic seedling air-layers.

I could not resist.Just sacrificed 30% of my crop to making aeroponic seedling layers.
I actually have deduced that the grow chunks are not my favorite additive to hydro media.Holds too much water and salt.Slows root growth a bit too.Two of the trees were showings signs of salt stress out of the big ones that I startes a more aggresive feeding.So is all it took to make me girdle 21 of them and put into the aero cloner i stead of repotting.
I am confident these will have quality roots being more robust as they are.Them little tiny dudes rooted.
These are chok full of goodies,the only differance is they did not ever get mother fertilizer....maybe not so essential on air-layering.
Wish me speedy success.

 

[atlarsenal]

@cmeg1 I know you used to grow a lot of zelkova. This is a seedling from last. Have you ever seen any with leaves this serrated? Pretty strange I thought.

 

[cmeg1]

@cmeg1 I know you used to grow a lot of zelkova. This is a seedling from last. Have you ever seen any with leaves this serrated? Pretty strange I thought.
View attachment 319256

rarity for sure.There are about 5 species of zelkova.Although I did see one at Meehans Miniatures that was different.
This could be attractive.Especially after defoliation.I honestly would see how the traits hold up and get it registered if at all possible.Or just keep it and propogate as the special find it is.
I think this is just the product one can get from rolling the dice of genetics when sewing seed!
Cool!

 

[cmeg1]

JBP seedling cuttings

Good strike rate on the cuttings.100% siccess,but only 90% are quality radial rooted keelers.That is fine though.Seems the extra foliar feeds really do the trick.The Young pine seedlings can handle twice a week frequency before cuttings are made.
Still have another tray to get done so should have about 50 or so.This is the beginni gs of a perpetual crop so I always have them available.I will sew seed every 3-4 wks.
The co2 is cranked up to 1300-1500 ppm.Tank still last almost 6 wks !
These should grow v ery fast.

 

[cmeg1]

different projects.

These will probably be seedling air-layers.I here cryptomeria japonica actually root well.See how they do.They are just starting to sprout.
Chinese elm will be fun.They grow almost an inch a day.Even these tiny little seedlings are quite greedy.....will totally get deficiencies if not enough nutrients.
Also the Coreana Hornbeams are days from popping roots now at 9 days!!!

Will be sewing Japanese Flowering Quince seeds.Will see what the role of the dice will bring.Should be interesting really.
Also got Green Japanese Maple and Trident Maple seeds.

 

[cmeg1]

I think Cryptomeria could be fun!
Interesting to see how they react to an excellerated growth environment.......air-layers too.I hear they are easy to propogate.Maybe seedling cuttings like pines or do seedling air-layers at a later stage.

 

[cmeg1]

Chojubai stock plant arriving today

Thanks to Brent at Evergreengardenworks.com
Will attempt propogation since their is a shortage of these available.......Got to get it growing good and prepare it first....wish me luck!

Also will be sewing Japanese Flowering Quince from seed to see what kinds of varity may turn up!!!!!

 

[cmeg1]

Chojubai from Brent.

Have it potted up.Pouch inside a pouch to keep nice and moist.Actually giving a root starter formula a few weeks to see if I can bulk the roots up.Then prepare with motherplant regime.
Hopefully get this really twiggy.

Have Mikawa pines popping up too from a gentleman who purchased from a grower in Japan.

 

[kale]

I have a quince from a nursery and starting to think itll be a decade before I notice any thickening of the trunk lol

 

[cmeg1]

I have a quince from a nursery and starting to think itll be a decade before I notice any thickening of the trunk lol

Yea can take long.I may just focus on chojubai and pines over winter.

 

[cmeg1]

zelkova seedling air-layers/root nubs on hornbeam aeroponics seedling air-layers !!!

These zelkovas have been growing a while from seed in a tray.Let them get larger ,so they do seedling air-layers really good( my original method since cloner is full of Hornbeam).
Should root in a couple weeks or less. Very vigorous and in 1300ppm of co2.
Watering with my aeroponic recipe(minus hygrozyme &fungi/microbes).

Also am getting very dense root nubs on the Coreana Hornbeam aeroponic seedling air-layers at 14 days now!!!
Stoked about this really.They are looking great still.....I mist leaves twice a day with a very light dose of humic acid water.

 

[cmeg1]

zelkova seedling air-layers/Hornbeam/chojubai

Decided to cut the intensity of the light down to motherplant strength...about 200-400 par.Nice and weak,but long duration.Co2 pumping and good temp and proper humidity for growth 40-60% RH.
Chojubai will like this too while setttling from transplant.
CoreanaHornbeam coming along too.
These zelkova should root no prob!

 

[cmeg1]

great seedling cutting roots

Got this pretty dialed in anymore.82% success of great radial rooting.
The new technique I have been doing is applying fulvic acid /kelp 5:2 ratio more than once a week.....about twice a week(normally not recommended as it wil burn more than once a week) ,though the pines can take it just till the tips start to yellow and then I ease up.Rooting is consideralbly better and fuller.
Last tray had 45 cuttings and only 8 rejects!!!!

Have a tray of Mikawa seeds sprouting that will get this same treatment.

They also get mother fertilizer about .4-.5 EC
Hopefully these are ready in about 6 weeks for october sales.Then I will get started on the Winter Mikawa haul..

loads of pictures from this evening!!!!!!